Holland cycle tour plan

Mrs Taylor has organised this one single-handedly. She's been on some Dutch bike route planning website or another and planned the following for us in September:

Day 1: Europoort – Den Haag (30 miles)

Day 2: Den Haag – Haarlem (40 miles)

Day 3: Haarlem – Hoorn (41 miles)

Day 4: Hoorn – Oppenhuizen (62 miles)

Day 5: Oppenhuizen – Kampen (52 miles)

Day 6: Kampen – Deventer (35 miles)

Day 7: Deventer – Nijmegen (64 miles)

Day 8: Nijmegen – Dordrecht (67 miles)

Day 9: Dordrecht – Europoort (41 miles)

She's also booked B&B accommodation from a list of budget establishments in a book called '2010 Vrienden op de Fiets' which is all written in Dutch. The route and all the overnight stops are now on my Garmin. My only stipulation for this trip is that I want to cycle across a 30 kilometre-long dyke on the way from Hoorn to Oppenhuizen, called the Afsluitdijk. On the first night we're staying with Friedel and Andrew who live in Den Haag and who've kindly offered to put us up, which will be nice. They've cycled round the world and are still very keen cycle tourists.

I'm also looking forward to cycling across the Nijmegen Bridge. I went over it by car in 2005. I love cycling across bridges but this one is special as my father (now 92) was involved in heavy fighting there in WW2 and stayed a while in Nijmegen.

We're sailing to Holland from Hull, which is a lot nearer to drive to than Harwich, the ferry port we use to get to Denmark. That's all I know about this cycle tour! (except that Holland is flat and is partly below sea level)

Chris, our CycleSeven fellow-blogger, lives near Hull, and we're leaving our car at his house instead of the long-stay car park at the port. All we have to do is cycle a few miles, then we're on the boat. Thanks Chris and Mrs Bailey.

I've not been there. I'm biased against flat terrain, but my friend Seamus has been there (not on his bike) and he said it was lovely. He says it's like a huge garden! Enjoy it and take millions of photos.

August 24th, 2010 at 4:49 pm

Hilarywrote:

I wish someone would plan a cycle tour for me!

August 24th, 2010 at 6:09 pm

Patrickwrote:

I know what you mean. I planned our last tour on Google Earth. It took me quite a while and I think she felt a bit left out. So for this Holland trip she just went and did it, and she is better than me at choosing places to stay. To be fair, I'm the one who maintains her bike – and as it happens, cleans the kitchen floor 😎

I'll be taking lots of photos.

August 24th, 2010 at 9:36 pm

Kernwrote:

If you are close to Den Haag I suggest you consider visiting Delft. Some Dutch friends of ours consider it one of the nicest towns in the Netherlands. It has a very well-preserved town centre, and you can add ballast by purchasing a piece of Delft pottery.

August 24th, 2010 at 10:05 pm

Chriswrote:

Hilary wrote: I wish someone would plan a cycle tour for me!

I think she just has! 😀

August 24th, 2010 at 11:49 pm

Patrickwrote:

Kern wrote: If you are close to Den Haag I suggest you consider visiting Delft.

Good suggestion, thanks. I think that's what we'll be doing on day one. Europoort to Den Haag is only a short distance so there's plenty of time. We like Vermeer so we'll probably try to find an art gallery there.

If you cycle reasonably quickly, you'd have time to look around Delft in the morning and then check out the Mauritshuis in the afternoon, before you come to us. Either that or go the following day. It really is a wonderful museum.

August 30th, 2010 at 5:50 am

Annawrote:

Hi Patrick,
Thanks for ur site. I'm a Canadian currently on summer holidays here in Europe for the next few months and very keen on taking a cycling tour in Holland. However, (1) I've never done a cycling tour before... but bicycle around Toronto as my main mode of transportation, (2) am a single female traveller. Would you recommend your 9-day Europoort plan both for a novice cyclist tourist and for a single female traveler?
thanks in advance!

Anna

July 13th, 2011 at 10:00 pm

Patrickwrote:

Hi Anna. You'll be absolutely fine in Holland. It's the world capital of cycling and safe as houses. For info, our two cycling tours in Holland » 2010 | 2011

Both from Europoort.

July 13th, 2011 at 10:40 pm

Davidwrote:

It is very easy to plan a cycle tour in Holland by using the the cycle path junction numbers!